AUSTIN — A Frisco representative wants lawmakers to approve a bill that would provide property tax exemptions to the spouses of first responders killed in the line of duty.

Rep. Pat Fallon said the bill was filed in response to the death of Jerry Walker, a Little Elm police officer who was fatally shot while responding to a call in January. He held a news conference Thursday in Little Elm with the mayor and police.

"First responders put their lives on the line every day to ensure our safety," Fallon said in a written statement. "These officers are our heroes at home; with this bill we want to provide some peace of mind for them should a worst-case scenario occur."

House Bill 2524 would also apply to the spouses of the five Dallas police officers killed in a downtown ambush last year.

"With the ambush-style attacks in Dallas and the tragic killing of Detective Walker, our office knew we had to try to give something back to these families in mourning," Fallon said. "Providing a property tax exemption for surviving spouses of officers killed in the line of duty is just a small sign of appreciation for their families' sacrifice to our great state."

Such property tax exemptions are contingent upon the spouse not having remarried. In 2013, voters passed a measure to provide a tax exemption for spouses of military officers killed on duty.

Fallon's proposal would require an amendment to the Texas Constitution, for which he has filed a House Joint Resolution. Should the law and House resolution be approved, voters would get to decide whether the amendment could be implemented.